Valve



June 9, 1925. y 1,541,318

F. R. BELLUCHE VALVE Filed A112. 20. 1924 l .1, a 1 a3 Fw I /5 a0 t 416 @7 91 Ina/vena?! Frmd: jzeuche,

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Patented June 9, 1925.

LFNTED STAT-ES 1,541,318 PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK R. BELLUCHE, 0F MANSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

VALVE.

Application tiled August 20, 1924. Serial No. 733,241.

To all whom t may conce-ra:

Be it known that FRANK R. BELLUCHE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Mansfield, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented an lmprovement in Valves, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

rlhis invention relates to a. novel and improved valve lfor utilizing centrifugal and gravitational forces and inertiaI to control the flow of a fluid from a source of supply l through the valve to the thing'to be supplied lwith the fluid. `The invention will be best understood by reference to the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of one specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,'

Fig.v 1 is a vertical, sectionalvview of a valve structure embodying the invention taken on a planecontaining its axis of rotation;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the valve; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view on al much reduced scale illustrating` the application of the valve to an apparatus such as a sheet drier and static eliminator for printing presses.

Referring` to the drawings and to the einbodiment of the invention which is selected for exemplification, and having reference atA first more particularly to Fig. 1, there is shown a valve structure comprising a stator t-and a rotor 5, one presenting an inlet 6 and an outlet 7, the former leading to and the latter from a chamber 8 presented by the rotor. 1n the present example, the stator is supported by an appropriate mounting, herein a bracket 9, which may be r attached to any suitable support 10 as by parallel with the axis of rotation, which in this instance is horizontal. One of these passages, herein the inlet passage 6, terminutes at its inner end adjacent the bottom of the chamber Sand its terminal portion is conveniently formed as a tube 16 whose upper 'end is rinserted inthe -body of the stator. lt should, of course, be understood that this is simply one convenient way of making the inlet conduit. In the present embodiment the outlet passage leads from the chamber at a point above the point of entrance of the inlet passage thereto.

l/Vhen the rotor is at rest communication between the inlet and outlet passages is closed by an appropriate closure, herein comprising` a body of liquid 17 such as mercury in Ywhich the inner orifice of the inlet passage is normally submerged, and which therefore prevents communication between the inlet and outletv passages by way of the chamber. l/Vhen, however, the rotor -is rotated at a sufiicient speed the action of centrifugal force will vcause the mercury to spread out and to follow the internal periphery of the rotor, and in so doing the mercury re-l cedes from the orifice of the inlet, thereby establishing communication between the inlet and outlet. i

This condition of aairs will continue until the speed of the rotor drops sutliciently to permitthe mercury to gravitate to its original' position and again to submerge the orifice of the inlet when communication will be closed. The prompt resumption of this normal condition in response to reduction of speed of the rotor is facilitated by the provision of a series of partitions or ribs 18 (see Fig. 2) extending l lengthwise of the axis of rotation and disinternal periphery of the chamber. The

effect of these partitions is to break up the mercury into a number of small bodies, the inertia of each of which is so slight that reduction of speed of the rotor is accompanied by a prompt return of the mercury to its normal position represented in Fig. 2. This is desirable as it has been found in practice that without the partitions the body of mercury tends to continue to revolve too long after the rotor has started to slow down, and the closing of the valve is insufiiciently prompt for some applications of the valve, such as that presently to be described. Mercury is preferred to other liquids because, owing to itsA gi-eat- Weight, it naturally tends to gravitate to its nomal condition quickly.

-lerein the rotor is provided With a removable cover plate 19 to tacihtate manufact-ure and assembly ot the parts andY tok aili'ord opportunity for inspection, and in the present example this cover plate is formed of transparent material, such as glass, which is preferred as it enables .inspection to be made at all times, even when the device is running, by simply looking through the glass' intothe chamber. n this Way the operation oiL the val-'ve can be seen at a glance( The cover plate may be secured in place by any appropriate means, such as a spring ring 20 received in a circumirential groove 2 presented by the rotor, said ring serving to loc-l; the` glass in place but permitting its ready removal by simply springing the ring out or its groove.

Rotation oi" the rotor lherein is conveniently effected by the use of a belt 22 received in a groove 23 presented by the rotor (see Fig. i) and driven bya groofved pulley 2 (see Fig. 3) driven as bya shaft 25 from any convenient part of the machine in connection with which the valve is employed. As already indicated, one possible application of the valve is to a. printing press for the purpose or" drying the ink and preventing or eleminating static electricity. ln suoli an installation the inlet 6: Willbe conn, nected by a supply pipe 26 to a source or While the outlet 7 Will be connected by a pipe 2 to a burner 28 having. one or more outlets 29 at which the gas is'delivered and is burned. The printed sl'ieet 30 is caused t-o travel in` proximity to the llames, thereby to be heated during its passage. lt should be understood, ot' course, that When the sheet is traversing the burner and at normal speed', the flames should be at. maximum intensity, and to this end the gas controlling valve should and does remain open in the manner hereinbet'ore explained, but should the press slow down beyond a predetermined speed, or stop altogether, the speed responsive valve Will be closed andj the supply oit' gas tothe burners cut oil. Off course, if desired, a separately controlled source of gas may be supplied to a usual pilotlight to relight the burnerv When t-he main supply is again turned on by the action of the speed responsive valve.

Having thus describedy o-ne embodiment oft' the invention but Wit-hout limitino' myself thereto, what l claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

Claims. Y

l. ln a valve structure, the combination oiE a stator presenting tWo passages, a rotor having a bearing on said stator and presenting a chamber within which said passages terminate, and a body ot liquid Within said chamber normally covering the terminal orifice oi one of said passages.

2; ln a valve structure, the combination oiC a stator presenting tivoV passages, a rotor having a bearing portion on said stator and about said passages, said rotor presenting a chamber adapted to ailiord communication bet-Ween said' passages, and a body of liquid Within said chamber normal-ly closing said communication.-

3. In a valve structure, the combination of a stator presenting tvvol passages and abearing. portion about said passages, a rotor mounted on and about said bearing. portion to turn about .a generally horizontal axis and presenting a chamber adapted to afford communication between said passages, onev ot said passages having its orifice below the other, and a body of liquid Within said chamber normally covering the lower orifice. 45. valve structure comprising, in coin-4 bination, a rotor presenting a chamber,y stator presenting an inlet to said cha-mbe'rand an outlet therefrom, and a body of liquid Within said chamber normally closing communic'at'ion between saidy inletand said outlet and adapted toiulitize centrifugal force when said rotor is rotated at a predetermined speed to open such communication.

5. A valve structure comprising, in come bination, rotatable means presenting af chamber having. an inlet and an outlet', anda body Within said' chamber normally closing communication bet-Ween said inlet and said outlet' and mounted for movement under the influence of centrifugal Jforce to open such communication when rotation. of said means reaches a` predeterminedv speed'. Y

6. A valve structure comprising tivo parts one of which presents a-port and one of which isV a rotatable liquidv valve, Which in its normal position closes said port and which under the iniiuence of centrifugal: force due to rotation opens said port'.

7. A. valvepresenting an inlet and an out', let and comprising a` rotor presenting a chamber' through Which communication between saidv inlet andl said outlet is adorded, and a body Within said chamber responsive to centrifugal torce to open and close communication between said inlet and outlet by Wayof said chamber.

S. A. valve structure. comprising, incom# bination, a rotorand a stator presenting a chamber and an inlet thereto and an outlet therefrom, anda body of mercury Within said chamber responsive to centrifugal force diie to rotation of said rotor to open and close communication between said inlet and said outlet by, Way of said chamber.

9. A valve structure comprising, in combination, a rotor and astator presenting. a chamber and an inletthereto and an-` outlet therefrom, a body of mercury Within said chamber responsive to centrifugal force due lui) to rotation of said' rotor to open antl close communication between said inlet and said outlet by way of said chamber, and means for dividing said body into a plurality of bodies during rotation of said rotor.

10j A valve structure comprising, in combination, a rotor and a stator presenting a chamber and an inlet thereto and an outlet therefrom, and a body of mercury Within said chamber responsive to centrifugal force due to rotation of said rotor to open and closev communication between said inlet and said outlet by way of said chamber, said rotor presenting within said chamber a series of partitions to facilitate restoration o1 said body to its normal state under the influence of gravity.

11. A valve structure comprising, in ccmbination, rotatable means presenting a chamber having an inlet and an outlet, and a body within said chamber normally closing communication between said inlet and said outlet and mounted for movement under the influence ot centrifugal force to open such communication when rotation ot said means reaches a predetermined speed, said means presenting a transparent wall through which the interior of said chamber may be viewed.

12. A valve comprising two rotatable parts one of whichis a liquid, which in its normal position closes the valve and which under the infiuence of centrifugal force due to rotation opens the valve, one of said parts having .a transparent portion through which said liquid may be viewed.

13. A valve structure comprising, in combination, means presenting a chamber having an inlet and an outlet, a body of liquid within said chamber constituting a valve to open and close communication between said inlet and said outlet, and means to cause rotation of said liquid to open ysuch communication and to stop rotation of said liquid to'close such communication.

14:. A valve structure comprising, in combination, means presenting two passages, a body of liquid constituting a valve normally closing communication between said passages, and means to cause rotation of said liquid to open such communication and to stop rotation of said liquid to close such communication.

15. A valve structure comprising, in combination, means presenting two passages, a body of liquid constituting a valve normally closing communication between said passages, a rotatable body to cause rotation of said liquid to open such communication, and means within said liquid to stop its rotation.

16. A valve structure co-mprising, in comV bination, a body of liquid constituting a valve, means presenting a port normally closed by said valve, and means to cause rotation of said valve to open said port and to stop rotation of said valve to close said port.

17. A valve Structure comprising, in combination, a body of liquid constituting a valve, means presenting a port normally closed by said valve, means to cause rotation ot said valve to open said port, and means within the path of rotation of said valve to stop its rotation and to cause it to close said port.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specication.

FRANK R. BELLUCHE. 

